Discovering the Interrelatedness of Life in Black Baptism

[Micah J M Morgan]

Abstract:

The ideological threads that comprise the Interrelatedness of Life Perspective (IoLP) of African spirituality comfortably align with the threads of Kingdom Theology-- a prominent Vineyard distinctive. One of the most potent expressions of the IoLP in recent history has manifested in Black baptism. The interconnectedness of Black worshippers is nurtured through the telling of God’s story with emphasis on the newly baptized and their fellow congregants and through the announcement of the newly baptized as claimed by God and adopted into God’s family. As a result, baptism has been one of the most significant and reliable moments during which Black worshippers are nurtured toward life lived in mutual responsibility for one another as children of God.

Vineyard Columbus has committed to the work of displaying the signs of the Kingdom,which means emphasizing during our worship services the preferences and tastes that are culturally unique among the abundant children God calls His own. One of the ways we envision emphasizing and honoring cultural uniqueness is by elevating significant features of Black baptism and incorporating them into our baptism catechesis.
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The full paper is attached to this post.